davene



Patented 001:. l25, 1881.

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(N o Model.)

W. lVI. DAVENE.

STAGE TRAP.

4 WITNESSES 2 N. PETERS. PiulD-Lilhanmnhcr. Wnhinglon. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

YILLIAM M. DAVENE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STAG E-TRA P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 248,639, dated October25, 1881.

Application filed March l, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that l, WM. M. DAVENE, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Stage- Traps, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being hadtothe drawings hereto annexed.

My invention relates to stagetraps in which an oscillating board is madeto oscillate by means of springs; and its object is to secure safety andease in applying the springs, and also to limit the degree ot' forceapplied, accordingly as maybe desired..

My invention consists in providing downward-opening hooks from which therubber bauds may detach themselves as they contract, and a windlass forreplacing the bands after the trap is set, and also in providingadjustable stops for limiting the action ofthe springs, as hereinafterdescribed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a central longitudinal sectionof a stage-trap embodying my improvements g Fig.2, aplan view of thesame, and Fig. 3 a detail view.

Heretoi'ore stage-traps which employ an oscillating board, incombination with a spring apparatus, have been open to the objectionthat, unless the springs were weak, the trap could not be set withoutgreat diiiicnlty, owing to the fact that the springs were notdetachable, and it' it was desirable to regulate the degree oi' force itwas necessary tov substitute springs of a different degree ot'elasticity.

To overcome these objections I substitute for the ordinary pivoted frameof the spring apparatus a rigid frame consisting of two parallelinclined bars, C C', suitably attached to the main frame, and having attheir upper ends a fixed cross-bar, f, provided with a series ofdownward-opening hooks on its under or inner side. A cross-bar, d,fitting within the inclined bars C and provided with flanges d on itsupper and lower sides for receiving the said inclined hars and slidingthereon, is connected by a metal loop to the lower end of an arm whichis pivoted to the under side of the hoard B in the ordinary way. Thissliding cross-bar is provided ou its under or inner side with acorresponding series oi' downwardopening hooks, upon which endlessrubber bands g are loosely secured and expanded, so that they may alsobe attached to the hooks on crossbarf. In case very powerful springsshould be used it would be quite difficult as well as dangerous to setthe trap as ordinarily constructed. It will be seen, however, thataccording to my improvement the springs will drop off the hooks when thetrap is let iiy, and if they are weak they may, after the trap is set,be easily replaced, one by one, by hand. It, on the other hand, thesprings are very powerful, they may be expanded and replaced upon thehooks by means ot" a windlass, lr, mounted upon frame A, and providedWith a rope and hook for holding the rubber band asitis drawn back.

When it is desired to limit the action of the springs so that theperformer will be thrown a given distance the cushioned stops c, whichmove upon the inclined bars C, may be regulated or adjusted at anydesired position by means of pins, whereby the sweep of the crossslide-bar may be lengthened or shortened as desired.

When the trap is to be set the slide d, which has fallen to the lowerends of bars C by the weight of board B, is secured to the trippinglatchh by means of its loop t'. This latch is hinged to the side of ablock,j, and has a iiange, h, which shuts over a wing, h2, hinged to theopposite side of the block, iuclosing the loop i underneath, while theupper end of said latch, which has a curved projection, h3, passesthrough a slot,j, in a rail, m, and is locked by a spring-governedlever, m', on the inner side of said rail. Two perforated ears, m3,attached to this rail on each side of the latch, are designed forreceiving a pin to prevent premature or accidental tripping of thelatch.

I wish it to be understood that I do not claim a stage-trap consistingof an oscillatinglever in combination with springs to cause such leverto oscillate, such a device being shown in a previous patent; but,

Having described the nature of my improve` ment upon such a stage-trap,I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In astage-trap havingan oscillating 1ever and spring mechanism, two seriesof downward-opening hooks, one stationary and the other movable, iucombination with self-detachable springs, substantially as shown anddescribed.

IOO

2. In a stageiraphavingan oscllatinglever 4. In a stage-trap having anoscillatinglever andspringmechanism,t\vo seriesofdownwardand springmechanism, the safety trippingopenin g hooks having detachable springs,in latch h, having dan ge h and curved projection combination withawindlass having arope and h3, in combination with bloekj, wing h2,slot- 15 5 hook, Substantially as shown and described. ted rail m,perforated ears m, and lever m',

3. In astage-trap havingan oscillatinglever I substantially as shown anddescribed.

and spring mechanism the adjustable cush- T 'y ioned stop c, incombination with the'nclined WILLIAM MORRIS DAN LNE bars C,substantially as shown and described, itnessesz 1o whereby the action ofthe springs may be lim- ARTHUR HERNANDES, ited, as set forth. y EMANUELLIPPER.

